Remember when you were a kid and got those craft making kits once a month in the mail box? Do you remember the excitement you felt when you saw the box arrive? For me it was like having Christmas each and every month shipped directly to me and it was splendorific. I admit, I still like receiving packages in the mail albeit not popsicle sticks and decoupage because even after all those years of getting those kits and having very talented people in the family, I have absolutely no artistic abilities.BUT...
A while back in my Face Book feed I saw a post for a "seeds of the month club," and it got those little wheels of my mind turning. It doesn't take much as you can see. After checking it out a bit I thought it was quite a brilliant idea and would be a great gift for people that was not just economical but a great way to get them to grow some of their own food. For kids, it would be an excellent way to get them interested in gardening and have the added bonus of a gift in the mail arriving once a month. I immediately began to work out details on ordering them for a year (to test before gifting) while trying to figure out how to explain to the manthing that I really had to have more seed just because I did. Lucky for me, I never got to the explaining part because low and behold, the seed people were looking for some folks to review their product. The wheels in my head got to turning again as I enjoy experimental projects and of course I love to garden. After a few emails back and forth between the seed people and I, I can now say I am receiving Christmas in the mail for a spell.
I have decided to turn it into a year long project. Each month I will post on the seeds I receive and then periodically do updates on them. I will chronicle how well they grow or don't, any issues I have with them, and how well they produce and yield. Before going any further I want to say that this project is something that I was going to do no matter what because I think it is a very neat idea! I was also going to turn it into a project around the homestead and chronicle my experiences each month because I enjoy projects over a long span of time. There is no payment for my doing this project except the exchange of seeds for thoughts. What I write are my own thoughts on the product,not someone elses.
Even if you are not interested in the seeds of the month, average person gardening is a great resource for gardeners of all levels. They have podcasts, articles, youtube videos, news letters, and other helpful information on the website. They also have a birthday list to get free seed and a kids corner. They also have a Face Book page where you can get updates regularly without having to go to the website as well as updates on their own gardens.
For those interested in the seed of the month club it is a very easy process to get started. Simply go to the page, enter the information and within a couple days the seeds will arrive. Mine were here in two days time! The first shipment for subscribers includes 8 packs of seed. Every shipment thereafter is four packs a month. They even have a counter on the website telling you when the next shipment is going to be sent which is great for impatient kids of all ages.
In my first shipment I got basil, cucumber, tomato and corn. Although it is a bit early to be direct seeding in our part of the world I, of course, couldn't help my self and stuck a few cuke seeds in the greenhouse and tossed some basil in a pot. The maters are seeded and I am waiting for them to sprout. The corn will also likely go in the GH as it is a bantam variety and would look cute in there.
Though it is to early to comment much on my experience thus far, I am pleased with the seed even if they are not heirloom variety. The packs of seed have decent directions for planting on the back! This is extremely helpful for those new to gardening. Heck, I do not like getting seed with no instructions after gardening near 40 years. I couldn't imagine ordering seed as a person new to gardening to see a blank package with nothing but a label of what is inside the pack. The packs have a good amount of seed in each one which is more than I can say for some companies and the turn around time from ordering to having seed here was great. In the few emails that were sent, a reply was given in a very timely fashion rather than never being replied to. These are all things that I as a paying customer of a business find important. What I really like is that it is a very economical means of acquiring seed. The cost works out to $.07 a day over the course of a year. I can find that walking around the homestead or in pockets doing wash.
